SAVOY SOUL BEACH MUSIC FESTIVAL

The island of Aruba will be busy in May with ConFunkShun, Floetry, Charlie Wilson and The Gap Band and India.Aire slated to perform at the Aruba Savoy Soul Beach Music Festival, from May 21 -26, 2005. Aruba's Club Havana and other nightclub hotspots will host welcome parties for the music festival. This year's event will blend together musical and comedic performances. Also appearing are Sinbad, Horace HB Sanders, Donnie, Floetry, Kindred and KEM.

Aruba Soul Beach Music Festival

The 2005 Aruba Soul Beach Music Festival is set for the Memorial Day weekend (May 25-May 30, 2005), with appearances by Wyclef Jean & United We Funk featuring the Dazz Band, Lakeside, ConFunkShun, Lauryn Hill and Boys II Men. In excess of 10,000 people are scheduled to attend this year for the concerts which will be held on the stage adjacent to the Havana Beach Club. Single night concert tickets are $65.oo and $180.00 will get you the complete concert ticket package. Comedians Mike Epps, Alex Thomas, Horace HB Sanders and Brandon Jackson, will also appear in separate shows at the Aruba Entertainment Center. Reminder to book early as the reservations are going fast for all performances.

THE ATLANTA JAZZ MUSIC FESTIVAL

The 28th Atlanta Jazz Festival is scheduled for April 30 through May 30, 2005. The 31-day event will be held at various venues throughout Atlanta, including Chastain Park Amphiteatre, Perkerson Park, Phoenix Park and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, as well as several metro-area Atlanta restaurants and bars. Performers this year include: vocalist Claudia Acuna, the Latin Jazz All-Stars featuring Dave Valentin and Hilton Ruiz, Latin "Grammy Award" winning flautist Nestor Torres and Tito Puente Jr. and Orchestra. Other musicians tapped to appear are vocalist Deborah Brown, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Joe Beck, drummer Sonny Emory, Rene Marie, Benny Golson and his Quartet, vocalist Andy Bey, Sonny Fortune, Carmen Lundy and David "Fathead" Newman along with his Quintet.

CANDY DULFER NEWS

PERFORMANCE AT THE SILVER JUBILEE OF QUEEN BEATRIX
Jazz-sax player Candy Dulfer will participate this evening in a special show in honor of the Silver Jubilee of Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands. The show is is being held this evening and Candy will perform with various other artists. The show will be broadcast live on the Dutch channel Nederland 2 starting at 8:10 PM.

STEVIE WONDER'S A TIME 2 LOVE

NEW STEVIE WONDER ALBUM DELAYED!
So What's The Fuss all about! Well, like it or not, Stevie Wonder's new album - A Time 2 Love, has been once again delayed. It's his frst new studio album in a decade, and unfortunately, the release date has been pushed back to an unspecified release date. Stay tuned and as soon as I find out, I will certainly keep you posted.

MP3 DOWNLOAD SALES UP IN THE U.K.

Paid music downloads are big business in the UK with levels averaging approximately 400,000 units per week. As a matter of fact, paid downloads thus far for this year have already surpassed the total for all of 2004. The full total for the January 1 through April 16 time period is an incredible 5,263,995 downloads. The source of this information is the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

2005 COMCAST SAN JOSE JAZZ FESTIVAL

The 2005 Comcast San Jose Jazz Festival will feature Eddie Palmieri, Ernestine Anderson, Hank Jones, Eliane Elias, Poncho Sanchez, Soulalive, the Bad Plus, Karrin Allyson, Jason Moran, Louis Bellson, Bettye LaVette, Michelle Armador & The True Believers, Kosmik Renaissance featuring the Vestax Fader Board, and Rene Marie. The four-day free event is scheduled for August 11-14 and will take place on nine stages in downtown San Jose, California. Over 165,000 people are expected to attend the event, as the San Jose Jazz Festival is the largest free jazz festival in the world. The festival is being presented by Southwest Airlines and Comcast. For more complete information about the San Jose Jazz Festival, visit www.sanjosejazz.org.

CANDY DULFER JAPAN TOUR DATES

Jazz sax player Candy Dulfer is scheduled to tour Japan with her band beginning this June. Joining her on this trek will be John Blackwell (drums) and Chance Howard(keyboards/vocals), who were part of the Prince tour (along with Candy) last year. The tour kicks off on June 6 and will perform the Blue Note club circuit throughout Japan. The cut off of her latest album ( Finsbury Park, Cafe '67) is still getting considerable airplay on smooth jazz radio. She also has a few dates scheduled for the Netherlands prior to heading for Japan.

The tour dates are as follows:
May 5 - Enschede, The Netherlands (Oude Markt)
May 14 - Capelle a/d Ijssel, The Netherlands (Isala Muziekfestivak)
May 29 - Bloemendaal, The Netherlands (Caprera)
June 6 -11 - Tokyo, Japan (Blue Note)
June 13-14 - Osaka, Japan (Blue Note)
June 15-16 - Fukuoka, Japan (Blue Note)
June 17-18 - Nagoya, Japan (Blue Note)

THE BEATLES REGROOVED

THE BEATLES REGROOVED
John Selway, Skylab 2000, MystiQuintet and JayAtwood (among others) have teamed on the newest remix project entitled - Beatles ReGrooved. The album features 14 classic Beatles songs "re-imagined"by electronic music artists. It will be released on June7 on KOCH Records. Here is full track listing:

1. Two of Us - Skylab2000
2. Blackbird - Eros
3. Eleanor Rigby - MystiQuintet
4. Tomorrow Never Knows - Jay Atwood & Susan MacCorkle
5. Something - John Selway
6. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - Joye Jaime
7. Hey Jude - Chokocherry
8. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Natural
9. Strawberry Fields - Signs
10. Let It Be - Eros
11. Because - MystiQuintet
12. I Want You (She's So Heavy) - Jette-Ives
13. Come Together - Azade Abi & Holmes Ives
14. Across The Universe - Morpho Eugenia & John Selway

THIEVERY CORP TOUR DATES & NEW SINGLE

THIEVERY CORPORATION 2005 TOUR DATES
Thievery Corporation have just updated their 2005 North American and European tour dates. Additional dates have been announced for the European leg with stops in Greece, Germany and Protugal. This year's live tour will include a full band and background singers.

North American Live Tour
5/5: 4th and B, San Diego, CA
5/6: The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA
5/8: The Warfield, San Francisco, CA
5/9: Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
5/10 The Premier, Seattle, WA
5/11:The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
5/15:The Quest, Minneapolis, MN
5/16:The Vic Theater, Chicago, IL
5/17:Majestic Theater, Detroit, MI
5/18:Carlu, Toronto , ONT
5/19:Le Spectrum, Montreal , QUE
5/20:Spirit, New York, NY
5/23:The Roxy, Boston, MA

European Live Tour
5/27: Open Air Festival, Zagreb, Croatia
5/28: Open Air Festival, Skopje, Macedonia
5/29: Open Air Festival, Belgrade, Serbia
6/1: Fix Open Air Theater, Thessaloniki, Greece
6/2: Petra Open Air Theater, Athens, Greece
6/4: Rock Am Ring, Nurburging, Germany
6/5: Rock Am Park, Nurburg, Germany
6/23:Vicar Street, Dublin, Ireland
6/25:Academy 2, Manchester, England
6/26:The Arches, Glasgow, Scotland
6/27:Koko (Camden Palace), London, England
6/29:Elysee Montmarte, Paris, France
6/30:Werchter Festival - Pyramid Marquee, Belgium
7/1: Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands
7/2: 3001, Dusseldorf, Germany
7/3: Roskilde Festival, Roskilde, Denmark
7/5: Maria am Ostbahnhof, Berlin, Germany
7/6: Skarpa Club, Warsaw, Poland
7/7: Roxy, Prague, Czech Republic
7/8: Jazz Festiva Wien, Vienna, Austria
7/9: Volt Festival, Sopron, Hungary
7/10:Funky Kitchen, Munich, Germany
7/13:The Cool Jazz Festival, Lisbon, Portugal
7/14:Casa De Musica, Porto, Portugal
7/15:Feria de la Artes, Salamanca, Spain
7/16:Monegros Festival, Fraga, Spain
7/19:Arena La Barcaccia - Civitanova Dance Festival, Macerata, Italy
7/20:Centro Sportivo Delfinia- Caviano Rock Fest VIII, Napoli, Italy
7/21:Centrale del Tennis - Roma estate, Rome, Italy
7/23:Idroscalo - Estate all'Idroscalo, Milan, Italy
7/24:Piazza Unita - No Borders Festival, Tarvisio, Italy

THIEVERY CORPORATION RELEASE NEW SINGLE
Rob Garza and Eric Hilton (Thievery Corporation) have just released their second vinyl single off the new album The Cosmic Game. The single, entitled The Heart's A Lonely Hunter, is a collaboration with David Byrne. The release also features a remix by Louis Vega of Masters at Work fame.

MAYSA - SMOOTH SAILING

MAYSA's SMOOTH SAILING
Maysa, the on and off lead vocalist of Incognito has just released her latest album Smooth Sailing. The CD is soulful with beautiful rhythms - it;'s defintately worth adding to your collection.

MO' HORIZONS SOME MORE HORIZONS

Mo' Horizons' Some More Horizons
Mo'Horizons have taken another excursion into the world of fusion with Soul, Funk, Jazz, Boogaloo, Bossa and Salsa mixed in with Downbeat and Drums 'n' Bass. This time around they have once again cultivated more rare gems juxtaposed with club remixes. Included on Some More Horizons are tracks and productions of Gilberto Gil, Miram Makeba, Catarina Valente, Donald Byrd, Corduroy, La Taverne Du Lac, Mo' Horizons, Fort Knox Five and others.

LOUIS VEGA PRESENTS DANCE RITUAL

Louis Vega Presents Dance Ritual
Dance Ritual was founded back in 1998 by two of the dance music industry's most respected artists, Louis Vega and Joe Claussell. Their purpose was to capture an ambiance of music that transcended boundaries, where African, Jazz, Latin, Soul, Gospel, Brazilian and RnB would blend through house forms. With this new recording, Louis Vega continues this same tradition as he features artists as diverse as Natalie Cole, Thievery Corporation, David Byrne, Stephanie Mills, Masters at Work and many others.

SALSOUL'S BEST REMIXES

SALSOUL'S BEST REMIXES
Yet More Salsoul from Japan!..New from Japan is Salsoul's Best Remixes (featuring various artists) and released on the EMI/Salsoul label. It's those classic tracks from the '70 disco era meets todays heavyweight remixers. It's no secret that the Salsoul vibe is still reeling in alot of today's music considering the number of samples being used and the frequency of Salsoul releases of late. Tracks on this CD include Double Cross by First Choice remixed by Danny Tenaglia, My Love Is Free by Double Exposure and remixed by Frankie Knuckles, Love Thang by First Choice remixed by David Morales, Everyman by Double Exposure remixed by Joe Claussell, Call Me by Skyy remixed by Blaze, I Got My Mind Made Up by Instant Funk remixed by Thunderpuss, Ten Percent by Double Exposure remixed by Masters at Work, Dreamin' by Loleatta Holloway remixed by Satoshi Tomiie, and Jingo by Candido remixed by Mount Rushmore.

SMOOTH JAZZ RELEASES

NEW SMOOTH JAZZ RELEASES
Some Additional April Releases...
Insout Acoustic Privacy (4/1; TRP Music)
Michael Haggins Daybreak (4/1; Cuate Records Group)
Matt Jordan feat. Kelli Sae Let The Feeling Flow (4/1; Independent)
Paul Thomas Yoder Dreamin' (4/1; PTY)
Victor Wooten Soul Circus (4/12; Vanguard)

FUTURE JAZZ RELEASES
Look out for forthcoming music from Wes Montgomery (The Best of Wes) due August 2; Peabo Bryson's latest on September 27. a reissue of 1966' Spellbinder from Gabor Szabo on September 27; and The Complete Verve Studio Master Tapes from Billie Holiday on September 13.

DAVE KOZ - GOLDEN SLUMBERS: A FATHER'S LOVE

DAVE KOZ - GOLDEN SLUMBERS: A FATHER'S LOVE
Dave Matthews, Phil Collins, Smokey Robinson, Michael McDonald and Solomon Burke are featured on Dave Koz' Golden Slumbers: A Father's Love due in stores April 26th. Sales of the CD will benefit the National Fatherhood Initiative.

JOHN SCOFIELD'S TRIBUTE ALBUM TO RAY CHARLES

JOHN SCOFIELD'S TRIBUTE ALBUM TO RAY CHARLES
John Mayer plays guitar and sings on I Don't Need No Doctor,a track from That Way I Say, jazz guitarist John Scofield's tribute album to Ray Charles. The collection, due June 7, also features Warren Haynes, Aaron Neville, Mavis Staples and Dr. John.

KRAFTWERK - MINIMUM MAXIMUM

KRAFTWERK - MINIMUM MAXIMUM
Kraftwerk will release their first live album, Minimum Maximum, on June 7th. The German electronic pioneers will play select U.S. dates beginning in May.

BEBEL GILBERTO REMIXED

BEBEL GILBERTO REMIXED
Thievery Corporation, Tom Middleton and Guy Sigsworth are among artists tackling songs by Bebel Gilberto for the album Bebel Gilberto Remixed that is scheduled for release in June.

STEVE OLIVER AT JAZZIZ BISTRO

STEVE OLIVER AT JAZZIZ BISTRO
Steve Oliver will perform at the Jazziz Bistro in the Seminole Paradise at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on April 25.

MICHAEL FRANKS XM RADIO & TOUR INFORMATION

MICHAEL FRANKS - XM RADIO & TOUR INFORMATION
Jazz vocalist Michael Franks is writing new songs for a forthcoming album and recording more installments of "A Songwriter's Journal," a show he is producing for XM Radio. No date yet as to when the program will air. In the meantime, Franks hits the road with some upcoming dates:
May 6 - Annapolis, MD (Rams Head On Stage)
May 7 - Alexandria, VA (The Birchmere)
May 19-22 - Seattle, WA (Dimitriou's Jazz Alley)
July 1-3 - Las Vegas, NV (The Orleans Hotel & Casino)
July 10 - Hudson, NY (Croton Point Park Jazz Festival)
August 12 - Austin, TX (One World Theatre)
August 13 - Long Beach, CA (Long Beach Jazz Festival)
August 14 - Saratoga, CA (Villa Montalva)
August 26-27 - Boston, MA (Scullers Jazz Club)
October 7-9 - Las Vegas, NV (Sun Coast Casino)

DJ JOAN GOMEZ BARBENA'S LASAI-LOS SONIDOS DEL CHIRINGU

DJ JOAN GOMEZ BARBENA'S LASAI-LOS SONIDOS DEL CHIRINGU
Lasai-Los Sonidos Del Chiringu is the title of a new CD compiled by DJ and producer Joan Gomez Barbena. This one is a carefully compiled selection of contemporary black rhythms, which include tracks from Nathan Haines, Phil Asher, Reven Everett, Amp Fiddler, Roy Ayers, Plantlife, Seiji, Recloose, Carl Craig and Joe Duke & DJ Fitchie. The atmosphere is all about soul, funk, hip-hop, broken beat and classic grooves inspired by the music of London's West End and Detroit.

MP3 DOWNLOADS

MP3 DOWNLOADS
No doubt that MP3's downloads are here to stay, as Apple Itunes has just reported selling 350,000,000 downloads since its inception nearly to years ago. This number is quite impressive considering that they were at the 250,000,000 mark just a mere four months ago. Apple currently dominates approximately 80% of the MP3 download market. Now in terms of the free MP3 P2P sites - well that's another story since we all know that many of us typically do run searches looking for free downloads. Keep in mind that you could in fact find free MP3 downloads legally, such as through Amazon.com, and if you look hard enough, some artist websites sometimes do offer free downloads. Happy hunting.

Salsoul 30th Anniversary, Average White Band, Al Green & More

SALSOUL 30TH ANNIVERSARY
Believe it or not Salsoul Records was first launched 30 years ago by the Cayre Brothers, and as we all know the rest is history. In celebration of this achievement, the latest Salsoul release is entitled Salsoul 3oth Anniversary and it features 30 selections as chosen by 30 of the worlds top DJ's. Familiar DJ's such as Joey Negron, Frankie Knuckles and Gilles Peterson have put together their most beloved tracks on this excellent compilation. Here are the tracks that you will find on this 2-CD set:

CD 1
Loleatta Holloway - Hit And Run
The Salsoul Orchestra - You're Just The Right Size
The Salsoul Orchestra featuring Loleatta Holloway - Runaway
Double Exposure - Ten Percent
Loleatta Holloway - Dreamin'
Double Exposure - My Love Is Free
First Choice - Doctor Love
True Example - As Long As You Love Me
Ripple - The Beat Goes On
Loleatta Holloway - Catch Me On The Rebound
Joe Bataan - The Bottle (La Botella)
Candido - Jingo
First Choice - Let No Man Put Asunder
Loleatta Holloway - Love Sensation
Candido - Thousand Finger Man

CD2
Inner Life -Ain't No Mountain High Enough
The Salsoul Orchestra - It's Good For The Soul
Love Committee - Just As Long As I Got You
The Salsoul Orchestra - Ooh I Love It (Love Breaks)
Candido - Dancin' And Prancin'
First Choice - Love Having You Around
Instant Funk - I Got My Mind Made Up
Gaz - Sing Sing
Skyy - First Time Around
First Choice - Love Thang
Inner Life - Moment Of My Life
Leroy Burgess - Heartbreaker
Logg - Dancing In The Stars
The Salsoul Orchestra featuring Loleatta Holloway - Seconds
Inner Life - Make It Last Forever

12TH ANNUAL JAZZ AND RHYTHM & BLUES FESTIVAL
The 12th Annual Jazz and Rhythm & Blues Festival takes place at the Hills Park i n Summerlin in Las Vegas on April 22 and 23. Smooth jazz and R&B performers slated to appear are George Duke, Paul Taylor, Down To The Bone, Ronny Jordan, Kim Waters, Paul Jackson Jr., The SOS Band, The Dazz Band, Lakeside, United We Funk and Confunkshun.

AVERAGE WHITE BAND - GREATEST & LATEST
The Average White Band is releasing their latest album Greatest & Latest on April 19 on Liquid 8 Records. The 16 tracks include collaborations with Chaka Khan, Ronnie Laws, Daryl Hall, Alex Ligterwood and Klyde Jones, plus a new recoding of their massive hit Pick Up The Pieces. Back in January 1975, the Average White Band's breakout single Pick Up The Pieces and the album AWB reached the top of the Pop and R&B charts. For the remainder of the decade, the group took their killer groove around the world. AWB is one of the world's most sampled bands ever. Average White Band's music has been used by well over 200 hip-hop and rap artists, including Janet Jackson, Bobby Brown, TLC and P. Diddy, and has influenced a whole new generation of funk and soul acts.This new collection includes tracks pulled from their last four albums. It also includes three brand new tracks, including a very special "Nu Jazz Mix" of their smash hit Work To Do. Also included on this CD are two rare live performances.

AL GREEN TOUR SCHEDULE...Al Green has a full slate of performances on his schedule between now and the end of June. Here is a sampling of where he will be performing...

May 5 - Mt. Pleasant, MI (Soaring Eagle Casino)
May 6 - Chicago, IL (House Of Blues)
May 7 - Chicago, IL (House Of Blues)
May 21 - Baraboo, WI (Ho Chunk Casino)
June 11 - Denver, CO (Paramount Theatre)
June 13 - Tucson, AZ (Desert Diamond Casino)
June 14 - San Diego, CA (Viegas Casino)
June 16 - Highland, CA (San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino)
June 17 - Saratoga, CA (The Mountain Winery)
June 18 - Guerneville, CA (Johnsons Beach)
June 19 - Jacksonville, OR (Britt Pavilion)
June 24 - Dayton, OH (Convention Center)
June 25 - Hampton, VA (Hampton Coliseum)
June 29 - London, ENG (Royal Albert Hall)
June 30 - Birmingham, UK (Symphony Hall)

JAZZTRAX SMOOTH JAZZ FESTIVAL, BLACK UHURU - DUB FACTOR, MALO 4 CD BOX SET

JAZZ TRAX SUMMER SMOOTH JAZZ FESTIVAL
The 3rd Annual Jazztrax Summer Smooth Jazz Festival is set for Memorial Day weekend (May 27-29), in Squaw Valley, at Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Performers this year include Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters, Marion Meadows, Bobby Caldwell, Eric Darius, Norman Brown, Peabo Bryson, Brenda Russell, Everette Harp, Soul Ballet, Lalah Hathaway, Kirk Whalum, Brian Culbertson, and Paul Jackson Jr.

DIANA KRALL - SMOOTH JAZZ AWARDS
Diana Krall Wins Big at Smooth Jazz Awards...Diana Krall was honored as both female vocalist, songwriter of the year, and her most recent CD, The Girl In The Other Room, was named album of the year, at the first annual Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards. The event was held on April 10 at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts in Ontario. Other winners included Marc Jordan (male vocalist), Rik Emmett (guitarist), Warren Hill (wind instrumentalist), Remy Shand (keyboardist) and the Clayton-Scott Group (group). The inaugural George Benson Lifetime Achievement Award was given to the singer and guitarist himself.

MALO WARNER BROTHERS 4 ALBUM SET
Remember Malo!...Warner Brothers has released a fantastic box set that features all 4 Warner Brothers albums recorded by the legendary Bay area group Malo. Malo's style has been described as '70's latin funk infused with rock and soul. All 4 albums on this set -Malo, Dos, Ascension and Evolution are classics that deserve to be heard. The set contains 41 tracks, including the hit Suavecito. And just in case you did not know, Jorge Santana (lead guitar and vocals), happens to be Carlos Santana's brother.

BLACK UHURU - DUB FACTOR
Black Uhuru - Dub Factor... A favorite of mine from back in the early '80s (1983 to be exact), is finally available on CD. Black Uhuru's Dub Factor is the definitive of '70s dub. Sly & Robbie handle the first class production values as well as contribute instrumentally. The CD is newly remastered and includes 3 additional dubs as bonus tracks (Cool Off, Destination Unknown, and Fire & Brimstone).

REGGAE, BRAZILIAN, AFRICAN, LATIN CD RELEASES

Here is a sampling of some of the best of the new releases...

NEW REGGAE MUSIC
Black Uhuru Tales Complete Anthem Sessions
Count Ossie Tales Of Mozambique
Lee Perry& The Upsetters Super Ape
Matumbi Music In The Air
Max Romeo & The Upsetters War Ina Babylon
Sly & Robbie & Friends Sly & Robbie's Taxi Sound
Sugar Minott Black Roots

NEW LATIN MUSIC...
Afcocuban Jazz Project Tribute A Emiliano Salvador
Coco Lagos Descargas
El Combo De Pepe El Combo De Pepe
El Combo De Pepe Descarga En Meor
El Gran Combo Bugalus
Ghetto Brothers Ghetto Brothers
Grupo Oz Miss Thing
Maranata Maranata
Mazacote Shukandu
Mongo Santamaria Mongo At The Village Gate
Ocho Ocho 2
Orquesta Revolution 70 Orchesta Revolucion 70 Y Sigue El Ritmo

NEW BRAZILIAN MUSIC...
Airto Natual Feelings
Alberto Rosenblit Trilhas Brasileiras
Bossa 70 Berimbau
Bruno Battisti D'Amario with Edda Dell'Orso Granada
Caetano Veloso & Banda Black Rio Biche Baile Show
Carlos Lyra Coisa Mais Linda
Celso Pixinga SOS Baixo
Edu Lobo Novo Millenium
Grupo Batuque O Tempo Do Samba
Grupo Batuque Afro Black (original Tony Allen Remix - 12")
Jaime Alem & Nair As Musicas De Milton Nascimento
Joao Donato Blue Donato
Jorge Autuori Trio Jorge Auturori Trio Vol. 2
Jorge Ben Novo Millenium
Jorge Ben A Arte De Jorge Ben
Mario Castro Neves Stop Look & Listen
Mart'nalia Mart'nalia Ao Vivi (DVD)
Mauricia Oliveira Registro
Max De Castro Max De Castro
MPB4 Novo Millenium
Mutantes Novo Millenium
Quarteto Em Cy & MPB4 Novo Millenium
Sabrina Malheiros Equilibria
Tim Maia Novo Millenium
Salvador Trio Salvador III
Tom Ze Estundado O Pagode - Na Opereta Segregamulher E Amor
Tamba Trio Novo Millennium
Various Artists Nao Wave - Brazilian Post Punk 1982-1988
Various Artists Trip To Brazil Vol. 4 - Summer Pop Samba

THIEVERY CORPORATION 2005 TOUR / FEDERICO AUBELE GRAND HOTEL BUENOS AIRES

THIEVERY CORPORATION 2005 TOUR
Thievery Corporation is set to make their return to cities around the globe this spring and summer in support of their new album The Cosmic Game. These will be full band live shows, complete with percussionists, horn sections, live bass, guitar and sitar, and a cast of singers with Rob and Eric at the controls. There will be more shows throughout the summer both at home and abroad.

Thievery Corporation North American Live Tour...
5/5: @ 4th and B, San Diego, CA
5/6: @ The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA
5/8: @ The Warfield, San Francisco, CA
5/9: @ Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
5/10: @ The Premier, Seattle, WA
5/11: @ The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
5/15: @ The Quest, Minneapolis, MN
5/16: @ The Vic Theater, Chicago, IL
5/17: @ Majestic Theater, Detroit, MI
5/18: @ Carlu, Toronto , ONT
5/19: @ Le Spectrum, Montreal , QUE
5/20: @ Spirit, New York, NY
5/23: @ The Roxy, Boston, MA

European Live Tour...
5/27: @ Festival Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
5/28: @ Festival Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
5/29: @ Festival Macedonia, Skopje, Macedonia
6/4: @ Rock Am Ring, Nurburging, Germany
6/5: @ Rock Am Park, Nurburg, Germany
6/29: @ Elysee Montmarte, Paris, France
7/3: @ Roskilde Festival, Roskilde, Denmark
7/9: @ Volt Festival, Sopron, Hungary
7/15: @ Feria de la Artes, Salamanca, Spain
7/16: @ Monegros Festival, Fraga, Spain
7/19: @ Arena La Barcaccia - Civitanova Dance Festival, Macerata, Italy
7/20: @ Centro Sportivo Delfinia- Caviano Rock Fest VIII, Napoli, Italy
7/21: @ Centrale del Tennis - Roma estate, Rome, Italy
7/23: @ Idroscalo - Estate all'Idroscalo, Milan, Italy
7/24: @ Piazza Unita - No Borders Festival, Tarvisio, Italy

FEDERICO AUBLE - GRAN HOTEL BUENOS AIRES
Federico Aubele will be making some select DJ and live appearances throughout the summer all around Europe. The first dates are below and if you haven't yet, go pick up his Thievery Corporation produced debut album, Gran Hotel Buenos Aires because it is simply fantastic. Federico will be going into the studio with Kid Loco to finish up his new album later this year. Look for an early 2006 release.

Federico Aubele DJ shows...
4/23: @ Stadtbad an der Oderbergerstrasse, Berlin, Germany
6/4: @ La Paloma, Barcelona, Spain
Live Band Shows...
5/20: @ Kulturfabrik, Krefeld, Germany
5/21: @ World Music Festival, Karlsruhe, Germany

HAMPTON JAZZ FESTIVAL, SALSOUL ACCAPELLAS & JAZZ RELEASES

HAMPTON JAZZ FESTIVAL
The Hampton Jazz Festival is set for June 24-26 at the Hampton Coliseum. This year's lineup is leaning towards R&B and smooth jazz performers with Al Green and Al Jarreau signed, among many others. Also performing will be Boney James, Earl Klugh, Ashford and Simpson,Frankie Beverly and Maze, Angie Stone, Chris Botti, Yolanda Adams, Jazz Attack (featuring trumpeter and ex-Sade sideman Rick Braun, guitarist/vocalist Jonathan Butler, ex-Tower of Power saxman Richard Elliot and guitarist/keyboardist Peter White), and "American Idol" champ Ruben Studdard.

NESTOR TORRES AT JAZZIZ BISTRO
Jazz flutist and Latin Grammy Award Winner Nestor Torres will perform at the Jazziz Bistro in the Seminole Paradise at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl on May 5.

SALSOUL ACCAPELLAS CD
Salsoul Records...Out now is a CD entitled Salsoul Accapellas Vol. 1 that features various artists. The set features accapella vocals throughout - either the main full accapellas of the tune, or just bits of the chorus. Note that there are no beats, bass or strings here, just a stunning collection of great vocals throughout. The CD features '70's greats Eddie Holman, Loleatta Holloway, Jimmy Castor, First Choice, Salsoul Orchestra, Candido, Weeks & Co., Inner Life featuring Jocelyn Brown, Bunny Sigler, Love Committee, Double Exposure, Anthony White and Aurra.

NEW JAZZ RELEASES
April 5 Releases...Concord releases Diane Schurr featuring the Caribbean Jazz Project Schurr Fire; Narada Jazz releases Keiko Matsui's Walls of Akendora (with bonus DVD); Magna Carta releases the Fareed Haque Group's Cosmic Hug; and Hip-O/Verve/UME releases Billie Holiday's Billie Holiday: The Ultimate Collection (CD/DVD). The release is a 2-CD set and it features 42 remastered tracks from the Columbia, OKeh, Commodore, Decca, Verve, Brunswick, Clef, Capitol and Aladdin labels, and the DVD contains movie and tv performances and interviews.

Other April Releases...
Alexander O'Neal All True Men
Chet Baker Quintet Conservatorio Cherubini - Complete Concert
Chet Baker & Ake Johannson Trio Live In Sweden
David Ruffin David - The Unreleased Album
Joe Henderson Tetragon
Was Not Was Out Come The Freaks
Syreeta Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta
Various Artists Gilles Peterson in Africa

BILLIE HOLIDAY, KRAFTWERK, ENNIO MORRICONE, MARTIN DENNY, BURT BACHARACH & LES BAXTER

BILLIE HOLIDAY ON XM RADIO
XM Satellite Radio Channel 70 presents a 12 hour tribute to the legendary Billie Holiday in honor of her 90th birthday. Check it out on April 7 from 8AM to 8PM.

HIROSHIMA ON XM RADIO
XM 71 presents a live concert by Hiroshima recorded at the XM performance theatre (April 8 at 8PM).

KRAFTWERK ALBUM REISSUES
Watch Out For The Trans Europe Express...Kraftwerk is gearing up for several reissues of their albums on October 4. I know it's a long ways off, but at least you can add these to your calendar: Autobahn, The Man Machine, Radio Activity, Tour de France and Trans Europe Express.

ENNIO MORRICONE REISSUES
Five releases are due for famed cinema soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone. Set forApril and May release are the following gems: Ad Ogni Costo, Gold Edition (3 set CD); High - The Tripper Side Of The Morricone Genius, L'Avventuriero; and La Califfa.

LALO SHIFRIN THE BEST OF MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
Lalo Shifrin The Best of Mission Impossible: Then And Now will be released on May 10. The disc features original music from both the 60's and 80's versions of the television series. The package features music composed by Lalo Shifrin and John E. Davis.

LES BAXTER & MARTIN DENNY REISSUES
The Original Chill Masters...Les Baxter and Martin Denny, known for their exotic lounge sounds of the 50's and 60's each will albums reissued. Martin Denny's Exotica features Denny's original combo of Arthur Lyman, Augie Colon and John Cramer on a number of tracks, including some classic Les Baxter tunes. Exotica Vol. 2 is the second album in Denny's famous Exotica trilogy, which as I mentioned before is part of the original chill and lounge genre of yesteryear. Forbidden Island again features the original combo (plus Julius Wechter), and it also includes some Lex Baxter songs (Port-Au-Prince and Sim Sim). Finally, Primitiva, complete with additional percussion that includes gongs, cymbals steel drums and more. The releases are scheduled for sometime in April and will have Japanese paper sleeves. As for Lex Baxter, his Color Of Brazil/African Blue double CD is due May 10.

BURT BACHARACH - THE COMPLETE A&M YEARS
Burt Bacharach's Something Big - The Complete A&M Years And More is out this week.

KEITH JARRETT - RADIANCE
Jazz pianist, Keith Jarrett, returns with Radiance, due out on May 3 via ECM. The album was recorded in October 2002 in Tokyo andOsaka, Japan. Jarrett will reteam with longtime collaborators GaryPeacock (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums) for a June 22 performance at New York's Carnegie Hall.

SMOKEY ROBINSON, AWB, AL DI MEOLA, DEXTER WANSEL & MORE

SMOKEY ROBINSON - MY WORLD: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION
Smokey Robinson's new release entitled My World: The Definitive Collection is due on May 3 via Motown. It will contain 21 tracks, a separate DVD loaded with music videos and live performances. The CD will include two newly recorded songs: Fallin' and My World. The album will include classic hits from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, as well as solo efforts. Robinson has a few scattered tour dates scheduled through late August, beginning April 15 in Torrington, CT.

AVERAGE WHITE BAND NEW CD
The Average White Band are releasing their first major CD in 8 years entitled Greatest And Latest. The new album is a collection of some of their best materials from the last 15 years as well as four newly recorded songs.

DEXTER WANSEL - DIGITAL GROOVE WORLD
Dexter Wansel, a Philadelphia International Records icon from the'70's is back with his first album in 14 years - Digital Groove World. Wansel worked with artists such as Michael Henderson, Jean Carne and also co-wrote Patti LaBelle's If Only You Knew.

AL DI MEOLA 2005 TOUR
Al Di Meola Upcoming Tour Schedule...Jazz guitarist Al Di Meola has lined up a bunch of appearances in the coming months and here they are:
April 2-3 Saratoga. CA, Villa Montalvo Center for the Performing Arts w/Manuel Barrueco
April 5 - Albuquerque, NM, University of New Mexico w/Manuel Barrueco
April 6 - Tucson, AZ, University of Arizona w/Manuel Barrueco
April 9 - Morrow, GA, Clayton College at Spivey Hall w/Manuel Barrueco
April 14 - Anchorage, AK, w/Manuel Barrueco
April 27 - Seattle, WA, Benaroya Hall
April 28 - Portland, OR
June 2 - Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, Tito Puente Amphitheatre
June 5 - Ridgefield, CT, Playhouse
June 8 - Annapolis, MD, Ram's Head
June 9 - Alexandria, VA, Birchmere
June 10 - Huntington, NY, IMAC
June 12 - Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live

BRAND NEW HEAVIES - STAY THIS WAY & SURRENDER
Brand New Heavies Vinyl...The Brand New Heavies have released three 12 inch vinyl pressings: Stay This Way, consisting of 7 mixes, several by David Morales; Surrender Part 1 mixes include Grant Nelson club, Grant Nelson dub, DJ Bomba & Soul Seekerz remix, and Andrew Levy Remix; and Surrender Part 2, including the TMS vocal mix, TMS dub mix, original radio edit and the original instrumental version.

FRANK, DEAN & SAMMY
New Rat Pack Music...The famous rat packers will live forever as the music just keeps getting remasteredand released on CD: from Sammy Davis, Jr: Lonely Is The Name (1968) and The Goin's Great (1969); from Dean Martin Live From Las Vegas (previously unreleased); from Frank Sinatra Live From Las Vegas (previously unreleased).

NEW JAZZ RELEASES
Ray Charles The Genius Anthology (Master Classics)
Antonio Carlos Jobim 20th Century Masters: The Best of Antonio Carlos Jobim- The Millennium Collection (Verve/UME)
Astrud Gilberto 20th Century Masters: The Best of Astrud Gilberto - The Millennium Collection (Verve/UME)
Stan Getz Stan Getz With Cal Tjader
Herbie Mann Love And The Weather
Cal Tjader Amazonas
Peggy Lee Sugar 'N' Spice
Stanley Turrentine Look Of Love
Ben Webster Warm Moods
Airto Natural Feelings
Mongo Santamaria Mongo At The Village Gate